We are pleased to introduce to you the Graduate Program in American Studies at the University of Minnesota. As one of the oldest Ph.D. granting programs in the United States, we have trained many outstanding scholars in this field and several others as well. We have a diverse faculty of senior and younger scholars who work in a broad range of fields and use many approaches to the study of the United States within a global context.

Despite the fact that we are a relatively small department, we graduate among the highest number of PhDs yearly in the liberal arts at Minnesota. We believe that we succeed at training our students because of our commitment to their financial support, to creating an important bond between advisors and students, and because of the priority to foster a strong student community. We promote intellectual and professional development by encouraging graduate student research.

Currently, our outstanding graduate students work in the areas of popular culture, comparative racial formations, feminist studies, sexuality studies, and transnational immigration among other areas. You will find a list of recent dissertations on this site.

All students have the opportunity to design and teach their own course before graduating, as well as assist in large courses where they teach sections. In addition, many of our students have held national fellowship at the pre and post doctoral levels. Our graduates teach both in small liberal arts colleges and large research universities, as well as working in a variety of settings such as museums, and all fields of education.

We encourage you to look at our website and brochure and to contact us if you have any questions.